Madman Entertainment is an Australian company that distributes Australian and international films as well as Japanese anime and manga in Australia and New Zealand. Madman is one of the major entertainment companies in Australia. It employs approx 100 people and has an annual turnover of around A$50 million.[1] Its headquarters is in Richmond, Victoria.[2][3]

Madman has secured the local release rights to popular titles including One Piece, Dragon Ball, Neon Genesis Evangelion, Akira, and almost all of Studio Ghibli's catalogue. In addition to DVD sales, Madman manages the theatrical release of some of their titles, particularly the Studio Ghibli movies. According to market research, Madman accounts for 97% of the total anime DVD market in Australia.[citation needed]

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Madman Entertainment was founded in 1996 to release anime in the Australia from Manga Entertainment UK, with Siren Entertainment acting as distributor after Siren lost the rights to most of Manga UK's catalogue. Later on in 1997, Madman started to distribute anime from ADV Films along with Siren Entertainment. In 2001 Madman Entertainment bought Siren's distribution equipment and established The AV Channel, allowing Madman to distribute their own titles. In the same year Madman Entertainment became the sole distributor of Manga Entertainment's UK and US titles in Australia & New Zealand after Polygram Australia relinquished their rights to Manga UK's back catalogue and Siren lost the rights to Street Fighter II V which was licensed from Manga USA.

As of 2008, only some of Manga Entertainment Australia's titles from the 1990s have been distributed by Madman. Battle Angel Alita was to be released in Australia by Manga and Madman in 2001, but this was cancelled because ADV Films had the rights to the OVAs in North America and tried to market it in Australia with a new dub, while Manga UK and Madman Entertainment had the rights in the UK, Australia and New Zealand.

Some of their DVD releases have been jointly mastered with Britain's MVM Films or Revelation Films to save costs, and are therefore dual-region (Region 2 and Region 4). A few DVD titles from Madman, such as the Oh My Goddess! OVAs, are all-region or multi-region DVDs in the NTSC format, imported from the US and repackaged for sale in Australia and New Zealand (which normally use PAL colour). Madman & Manga UK also work together on PAL DVD & Region B Blu-ray masters and video transfers, sometimes co-licensing titles due to a title's high cost.

Madman launched in 1996 solely as an anime distribution company, but has since expanded. They manage the distribution of live-action titles through their labels Madman Films, Directors Suite, Madman Sports, Madman Laughs, Madman Television, Bollywood Masala and Eastern Eye and also children's entertainment through their Planet Mad and Mad4Kids labels. Madman also has a theatrical distribution arm called Madman Cinema. In addition, the company distributes original series produced by Australia's Special Broadcasting Service on DVD.[5]

In 2007, Madman began a licensing agreement to release original Cartoon Network and Adult Swim series on DVD in Australia and New Zealand.[6] Madman also programmed Adult Swim's anime block in the two countries[7] until Cartoon Network Australia dropped its entire Adult Swim lineup on 1 January 2008.[8] Madman Entertainment released the complete series of M.A.S.K. over two DVD collections for the first time in Australia and New Zealand. Collection One was released in November 2006 and contains episodes 1 - 38, Collection Two was released in March 2007 and contains episodes 39 - 65 as well as all ten episodes of the racing series.[9]

In April 2008, the company announced a collaboration with British company Warp Films. Warp and Madman plan to make "at least two films together over the next three years, starting with Tyrannosaur."[14]

In May 2014, Madman launched AnimeLab, a Video on demand service streaming anime hits and simulcasts from Japan. AnimeLab launched free, without ads, with 50 series and 700 episodes. [15]

In July 2014, Madman’s original founders Tim Anderson and Paul Wiegard, together with a small group of investors, completed a buyback of the business from Funtastic Limited (ASX:FUN). [16]